How much does it cost to make an app?

I bet, that anyone, who is interested in starting a mobile application development, wonders “How much does it cost to make an app?”. We will explain to you which factors affect the cost of app creation and show how you can save the cost on the development of a mobile application.

Mobile application price can be absolutely different, cause a lot of factors influence it. Hourly rates, development time, the complexity and type of the application, and support of the released app make an impact on the final price.

Let's discover each point more detailed. What countries have the lowest and highest hourly rate for development? Does the quality of development depend on a rate per hour?

The high price doesn't always indicate a high-quality execution, it just indicates that salaries of programmers in countries differentiate. Based on prices of software services providers, that is specified on review websites, we can note the following app development rates in different countries (the 2019 year research):

The US and Canada development studios charge from $50 to $300 per hour;

agencies in Australian have an hourly rate from $100 to $200;

hourly Rates of developers work in Western Europe and the UK is from $50 to $200;

Eastern Europeans rates are from $20 to $100;

Indian rates mostly vary from $10 to $50 per hour.

What also you should know about getting the price to develop an app? The cost of the future application will directly depend on the number of hours a team will spend on the development. Here you can observe parameters that affect the scope of work and, accordingly, the budget for mobile development:

types of devices (smartphone, tablet, or both);

supported platforms (iOS/Android);

the number of screens;

monetization type you want the app supports;

functionality that an application includes;

type of web server (should it be an offline app or has an admin panel).

Assume, that you have decided how your application should function and can describe parameters which are specified above. It means that you easily can get the approximate price of your project creation by using our App Calculator. This tool will answer your question “How much does it cost to make an app?” that meets your requirements.

How to estimate the cost of your project on your own?

If you have an idea of your app functionality, then you can count the approximate number of screens your application should have. Take this number and follow the next formula which helps you to figure out the cost to develop an app.

Let's get this detailed. Take a pen with paper for illustrating how screens of your future app should look. Count the Number of screens and you will have the first multiplier. Assume, you want, that application will be able to work on two platforms (iOS and Android). It means Number of platforms application supports = 2. If you are planning to develop the application, that is supported by 1 platform, then this number is 1. The next multipliers are Software Development Hourly Rate and our Magic Number (16).

Let's assume you are planning to develop a mobile application, that has 10 unique screens and it is supported by 2 platforms (iOS and Android). TheSoftware Development Hourly Rate of your vendor is 25$. So the approximate price of a mobile application = 10 x 2 x 25 x 16(magic number) = 8000$.

Keep in mind, that it's a rough estimate, which works for applications with a standard set of functionality.

How to save money on the development of a mobile application?

Template solutions

Creating of a multifunctional mobile application with an elegant user interface usually is tricky. Fortunately, app templates can save your efforts and time. For example, CodeCanyon presents a huge collection of application templates, where you can find a suitable one. Basically, an application pattern is a pre-built app with some basic functions already implemented. Our team can easily configure it and add something to the template code for creating the desired application. But, keep in mind, despite saving money, this kind of app is difficult in customizing and improving.

Start your project from Minimum Viable Product (MVP) creation

Developing a large project can be quite expensive. Start your development by defining the main functionality of the app which is required for its viability. If you are planning to build the complex application, we suggest you think about creating MVP at the initial stages of the app development. It allows you to have a viable application without large investments, that will give you feedback from users before developing a full-featured application.

How do companies estimate the cost to develop an app?

At the initial stages of your cooperation with the software services provider, you should receive the approximate quote for the app building based on your requirements. The company identifies the rough number of hours for the app creating according to the documentation you shared with the studio. It could be app descriptions, mock-ups, user story, or sketches. The more information your vendor will receive, the more accurate price you will be provided. After your approving of the approximate quote, the studio will prepare for you the detailed estimate which describes how much hours take the development of each feature and then a company will prepare required documentation for project development.

Conclusions

Summing up, the cost to develop an app is affected by the number of factors. So, instead of searching the price for developing similar applications, you can get the answer on the question "How much does it cost to make an app?" by using our tips, tools, and formula. And, of course, you can contact us and we will prepare an app estimate for you based on your requirements.